PURSUIT of Smoking Cessation Given Top 2009 Ogilvy Gold Award for Ad Research

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EX® Campaign Says Re-Learn Life without Cigarettes before Trying to Quit
Prestigious David Ogilvy Award was presented to PURSUIT for research on behalf of the American Legacy Foundation. This award is based on the idea that a spectacular campaign is achieved when research insights are combined with creative inspiration. This was proven with the research done behind the EX® quit smoking campaign.

Through this research, we learned how to speak to smokers to help them realize quitting takes more than tips and tricks or a 'magic bullet.' It requires a major life change to re-learn everything you used to do with a cigarette, without one.

New York, New York (PRWEB)April 1, 2009

The strategy behind the EX® quit smoking campaign was recognized yesterday by the Advertising Research Foundation for its unique call to smokers: Don't Quit. Re-Learn life without cigarettes.

The non-traditional approach was built off findings from research conducted by the American Legacy Foundation's agency, GSD&M Idea City (Omnicom) based in Austin, TX. Designers of the research went on to create the marketing firm PURSUIT, also based in Austin. The research, on behalf of the American Legacy Foundation, was given the ARF's 2009 David Ogilvy Gold Award at Tuesday night's awards banquet. Each year, this prestigious award honors research that has contributed significantly to the development of great advertising.

"Tobacco addiction is complex," said Eric Asche, SVP of Marketing for the American Legacy Foundation. "Through this research, we learned how to speak to smokers to help them realize quitting takes more than tips and tricks or a 'magic bullet.' It requires a major life change to re-learn everything you used to do with a cigarette, without one."

Researchers had current and former smokers tell stories and map out in detail their individual "quit" journeys. People mapped the back and forth experience of stopping smoking, relapsing and stopping again. They explained what moved them in either direction on the quitting continuum and pointed to people, places, and things that influenced how they felt and acted.

"Building a model of the smokers' journey through this research, it became clear we needed to help people break down their smoking behavior to figure out the changes they'll need to make when removing cigarettes from their lives," said Maury Giles, former head of analytics at GSD&M Idea City and Founding Partner at PURSUIT. "We knew EX® could encourage smokers to start this self-reflection."

GSD&M Idea City launched the EX® campaign and BecomeAnEX.org in 2008 with TV and radio spots playing on simple tasks of life re-learned without cigarettes. Smokers were reminded of smoking triggers through out-of-home promotions at work, coffee shops, bowling alleys, and many other daily destinations. Online they could develop a personalized plan to re-learn life without cigarettes and share experiences with others trying to quit.

In the first six months, the site BecomeAnEx.org had over a million visits and outpaced comparable cessation sites by more than 30 to 1. Initial surveys of site members suggest as many as 26% have quit smoking--dramatic results in a short time for the campaign.

Individual PURSUIT team members now celebrate their third Ogilvy Award from the ARF. So where does PURSUIT keep their Ogilvy trophies? On the bathroom-shelf, of course.

About American Legacy Foundation and the EX® Campaign
The American Legacy Foundation® is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit (http://www.americanlegacy.org). The Foundation uses media campaigns, evidence-based programs and services, research, and grants to prevent smoking and help others stop smoking. EX® was developed in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and is being brought to the American public by the National Association for Tobacco Cessation.

American Legacy Foundation is based in Washington, DC.

About PURSUIT
People are complex. Business can be, too. The PURSUIT philosophy is simple: We Listen and Observe. We Invite people in. We Translate needs. We Map shared journeys. We Pay Attention to what's working. We Get Better.

In biz lingo… we uncover consumer insights to drive organic marketing and product innovation. After implementation we measure ROI, learn, and model/simulate the impact of new ideas before executing. We look at people as your greatest resource, and we get you to look at your business through the eyes of real people

The PURSUIT team has worked with Idea City across industry leading clients: AARP, MasterCard, BMW, American Legacy Foundation, Wal-Mart, AT&T and US Air Force.

Pursuit offices are located in Austin, Texas.

About GSD&M Idea City
GSD&M Idea City is a leading national marketing communications and advertising company that has helped grow some of the world's most successful brands. For more information go to http://www.IdeaCity.com. GSD&M Idea City is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC).